In response to neighbors’ concerns about speeding traffic and accidents on Central Avenue between Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road, members of the Phoenix City Council requested the Street Transportation Department come up with a solution to address those issues.

    Among the suggestions was to create dedicated bike lanes so that bicycle riders would not have to impede the flow of traffic and they additionally would have a safety buffer between them and vehicles.

    On Jan. 7 the one-mile stretch of Central Avenue was restriped to reduce lanes and accommodate a bike lane. Known as a “road diet,” Central Avenue was reduced from three northbound and three southbound lanes to two in each direction as well as a center turn lane.

“Since Central is essentially two lanes in each direction north of Bethany Home Road and south of Camelback, we do not believe this will disrupt traffic on the corridor or along any of the neighborhoods in the area,” explained Kerry Wilcoxon with the Phoenix Street Transportation Department’s Safety and Neighborhood Traffic Section.

    This restriping creates room for a bike lane on both sides of the street, which results in traffic traveling 6 to 11 feet from the sidewalk. In addition, the bike lanes establish a connection for bikers to ride from the Central and Camelback light rail stop to the Murphy Bridal Path.

    “This plan reduces speeding, traffic noise and enhances pedestrian and bike travel along this stretch of Central Avenue,” said Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot, who advocated for the bike lanes. It also increases pedestrian safety, since bicycle riders frequently got up on the sidewalks to get out of the flow of traffic, creating in turn dangerous situations for pedestrians.